How much wilderness is enough? We now have more than 100 million acres of our resource lands locked away as permanent wilderness. We have thrown away the key to those lands. This area is more than one and one half times the size of the whole state of Colorado.

The additional 60 million acres that are the subject of HR 1581 have been locked in a de facto wilderness status for many years. These lands have been studied, measured, evaluated and inventoried — they have been found to be not suitable for recommendation as designated wilderness pursuant to the requirements of our law. Now let’s put them back to multiple use.

It is the thinking of folks like Joanne Ditmer that threatens to puts the U.S. behind countries other world power countries like China. If one is opposed to the development of the resources of public lands, then for consistency’s sake, they should refuse the products and benefits of those resources (and go live in a cave).

John D. Amen, Brighton

This letter was published in the Nov. 1 edition.

The Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act co-sponsored by Colorado’s Reps. Scott Tipton and Mike Coffman is sweeping in scope, breathtakingly short-sighted, and an unwarranted giveaway to corporations, foreign and domestic.

Americans rarely fight to get fair value for the costs of energy or mineral production on public lands. In fact, taxpayers subsidize the risks of drilling, give tax breaks at every level of production and refinement, pay for the clean-up, and then pay at the pump.

This legislation is an affront to Colorado values, not just our respect for land and the legacy we owe our children, but also for its blatant favoritism to energy and mining interests over the public good.

Michael Pons, Lakewood

This letter was published in the Nov. 1 edition.

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Like most citizens of Colorado, I celebrate whenever I hear another large corporation is relocating to the Denver area, but it does illustrate the bias that government shows to large business. Arrow Electronics may secure $11.4 million in government incentives for the possible creation of 1,250 jobs ($9,120 per job). The GE solar plant stands to collect $28 million for 355 jobs ($78,870 per job). Additionally, Gaylord is expecting to rake in $385.4 million for 3,700 jobs (a whopping $104,162 per job), half of which would be temporary construction positions.

A few years ago, while trying to start up a viable, tourist-based business that would employ approximately 18 year-round employees, the best I could do was get the local government to agree to extend my water tap fee out over a five-year period.

And still we wonder why the Occupy Wall Street movement exists as a protest against the rich running the country.

Patrick Holloran, Carbondale

This letter was published in the Nov. 1 edition.

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I am sure the 99 percent of us who did not have our income increased 275 percent in the past three decades need to band together to be heard. This population would include many Republicans who keep voting for these political people who are influenced by the wealthy and corporations that want to continue with this greed. Do we want American youth to give up hope, thinking they are not entitled to a future? I am a 71-year-old grandmother and I do not want my grandchildren not having hope for their future. Wake up, America!

Beth Ralph, Arvada

This letter was published in the Nov. 1 edition.

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“Concerns about vagrancy on the 16th Street Mall,” Oct. 24 letters to the editor.

Regarding the question about what to do about the homeless on the 16th Street Mall shows me that, once again, the bigger issues are not being addressed.
I have spent 55 years around homeless people, and they are not going away anytime soon. Throwing a few bucks at them does not help with the issues.

As Denver has taken over the areas that originally had cheap housing, old bars, warehouses, abandoned houses and reclaimed those areas for today’s up-and-coming crowd, the homeless have had nowhere to go. They have migrated to the 16th Street Mall, as they can panhandle for money and feel as if they at least belong among the “regular people.”

When winter arrives, the mall will go quiet again and the homeless will magically disappear from sight. But this does not solve the problems: high rent, drug and alcohol use, no or low-paying jobs, high prices for health care, etc. Until we address these issues once and for all, we are all in danger of joining the homeless crowd.

Martin V. Knife Chief, Westminster

This letter was published in the Nov. 1 edition.

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President Obama’s plan to lighten college debt is long overdue. As a parent of a University of Colorado freshman, I am incredulous at the soaring costs of a college education, especially at a public university. I also am astonished how parents and students aren’t fighting back and demanding a full account for the increases in tuition and room and board.

Colleges and universities must begin thinking of themselves as a customer service company — and it is time to think of ways to make college more affordable. Like fewer hours to graduate, get rid of electives, focus on the requirements for your field of study and do away with the fluff.

I realize the argument from educators is we need students to be well-rounded graduates — but I see it more as a reality of economics, families and students are being priced out of a college education by the sheer hubris of those in academia. It is time to rethink post-secondary education in a radical way.

Teri Sinopoli, Denver

This letter was published in the Oct. 31 edition.

There is a lot of discussion lately about student loan debt being higher than credit card debt in this country. Both of these are personal choices that people make. The president wants to reduce payments and then forgive student loans after 20 years. I don’t think that’s right. No one has ever forced students to take out loans to get an education.

When I went to college, I could not afford to go full-time and I thought it was foolish to borrow in order to pay my tuition or living expenses. I had to work full-time to support a family. I could not go to a fancy college and rack up debt. I went to the local college at night, after work and on weekends. It took me seven years of “year round” with no breaks, but I finally graduated with an engineering degree and debt-free. We all make choices and need to honor them no matter how good or bad they are.

Mike Ellis, Denver

This letter was published in the Oct. 31 edition.

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The disassembling of the nation’s most powerful nuclear bomb is good news. It is indeed a step in the right direction to rid the world of nuclear weapons. However, our nuclear arsenal and the cost of maintaining it is mind-boggling. The U.S is spending $55 billion annually for our nuclear arsenal. In northern Colorado alone, we are maintaining 49 nuclear weapons on trigger alert.

Now is the time to start de-activating the nuclear weapons of mass destruction in our own backyard.

George McShea, Littleton

This letter was published in the Oct. 31 edition.

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School resource officers (SROs) need to be in tune with the communities they are working with and ensure they are not unnecessarily criminalizing those they are supposed to be protecting. This is not possible if the SRO also works as an Immigrations and Customs Agency agent. It creates fear and distrust among the students and their families.

As a community we need to foster a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment in our public schools, so that all students and their families can achieve educational excellence. SROs are supposedly in the schools to make them safer, not to question students about their family’s immigration status.

The school board needs to implement regulations that prohibit SROs from collaborating with ICE in any capacity. All students deserve to be educated in places where they feel safe among their peers and faculty.

Nancy Nangle, Longmont

This letter was published in the Oct. 31 edition.

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The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed HR 441 to allow development of “micro-hydroelectric” projects within Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve. This is a dangerous precedent that tramples the basic ideal of our national parks, which represents one of the great legacies of American democracy: the preservation of public lands for the enjoyment of this and future generations. What’s next, Old Faithful turned into a geothermal power plant, Yosemite Falls harnessed for hydroelectric power and the Everglades drained to foster growth in south Florida? The House’s action not only undermines the principles on which the national parks were founded, it threatens a basic freedom — the freedom of future generations to enjoy the unspoiled beauty and serenity of our national parks and wildlands.

I hope the Senate will reject the House’s action and preserve the integrity of our national park system.

Ronald L. Rudolph, Golden

This letter was published in the Oct. 31 edition.

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Three articles in last Sunday’s Post juxtapose the extreme wealth and poverty that are driving thousands to “Occupy” in protest.

First, “The vanishing middle class” reports that median incomes are falling and a third of Americans who were raised in the middle class won’t enjoy that lifestyle as adults. Then “Homeless find place in protest” reports that homeless people are taking refuge in the tent cities built by Occupy protestors around the country.

Meanwhile, “The price of privacy” details billionaire Bill Koch’s obscene expenditures to satisfy his obsession with the Old West. As millions of Americans fall into poverty, Mr. Koch is spending tens of his millions building himself a bizarre Old West playground, buying Western memorabilia and property, and purchasing political power with campaign contributions. While Mr. Koch’s employees are happy that some of his wealth trickles down, this extreme economic inequality is not sustainable in a democracy.

Ben Bohmfalk, Carbondale

This letter was published in the Oct. 30 edition.

Here’s the deal on Bill Koch: Koch Industries is probably the largest privately held company in America; no accurate financial data is published but value in many billions. The Kochs are from Wichita and, as we know, Kansas ain’t very pretty, so like many of the super-rich, they want a piece of Colorado. These cozy land swaps never favor the public and are usually greased through with patronage and favors. The upshot of all this is more and more of Colorado becomes inaccessible to those of us who actually live here.

Tom Koller, Thornton

This letter was published in the Oct. 30 edition.

Madeleine Osberger’s article on Bill Koch’s plan to create a huge private, luxury “Western” town was interesting, alarming and pitiful. In an apparent attempt to offset the inescapable image of a plutocratic Koch, she notes that Koch (net worth $3.5 billion) gave a total of $43,750 to 11 Democratic candidates over a period of 13 years. However, she does not balance this with statistics on Koch’s donations to conservative candidates and the Tea Party over the same period. Also, the total acreage of Koch’s proposed estate is not given.

Could these omissions be rectified? Otherwise, the article sounds less like journalism and more like a promotional ad for Koch — or, perhaps, Occupy Wall Street.

Margaret Cross, Evergreen

This letter was published in the Oct. 30 edition.

Thanks to Madeleine Osberger for her expose of billionaire Bill Koch’s attempt to turn public lands into his own private Western theme park.

But Koch is doing more than trying to swap BLM land for his own OK Corral. He’s now proposed to drill 42 exploration wells and build roads on other people’s private lands in preparation for a new coal mine at Oak Mesa north of Hotchkiss.
And not just any private land. The owners of half of that private property protected their land with conservation easements to preserve open space for future generations. Koch’s proposed exploration wells will degrade the very values those easements seek to protect.

One can understand why Koch has resorted to trying to use political contributions to curry support in Washington. Winning local support can be hard when you’re trying to literally bulldoze your neighbors.

Ted Zukoski, Denver

The writer is a staff attorney in the Denver office of Earthjustice.

This letter was published online only.

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“State ties to Cotter draw fire; Closely linked to the mill, regulators long played down its contamination dangers,” Oct. 23 news story.

Thanks to The Denver Post for Karen E. Crummy’s very thorough and detailed investigative article. The extensively transparent article clearly depicts how a very powerful mining corporation can influence and outmaneuver, maybe intimidate, governmental agencies and officials responsible for important oversight of mining regulations that protect Colorado’s pristine environment and public health and welfare.

What is the motivation for Colorado regulators to allow Cotter Corp. to violate Colorado environmental, public health regulations and laws? Could it be about vast sums of money — for the state, for political campaigns, and for who else knows what? It’s unfortunate that big money will trump Colorado’s majestic environment and the health and welfare of the less influential common man.

By the way, where are all of the Colorado elected politicians in this struggle? Most have been noticeably quiet. Why is that?

William A. Matheson, Denver

This letter was published in the Oct. 30 edition.

Cotter polluted land and groundwater around Cañon City. Colorado regulators have been complicit in this debacle. Cotter seems to think that aquifer pollution isn’t a real issue because people are no longer using groundwater. Cotter is resisting larger bonds to fund potential cleanup of the site. They seem to be saying that if Colorado demands higher bonds, they will leave town and let Colorado and the Environmental Protection Agency clean up the mess.

The simplistic Republican view of the world is that regulations “kill jobs” and removal of regulation “creates jobs.” In short, the exigent circumstances of the economy call for allowing industry to operate without regulation. Many jobs would be created if Cotter took responsibility for the cleanup of this site and got it done.

Michael Hobbs, Northglenn

This letter was published in the Oct. 30 edition.

The authorities would serve the public far better by prosecuting Cotter Corp. and its principals for refusing to clean up a toxic and dangerous environment they created over the last 50 years than arresting protesters at Civic Center Park who are harming no one.

Robert R. Tiernan, Denver

This letter was published in the Oct. 30 edition.

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Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 150 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address, day and evening phone numbers, and may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.